Beginnings
by Roofran411
Summary: There was a boy... The story of Mickey Carpenter, young,alone and desperately lonely


This story is based on a character, Mick Carpenter, played by Rufus Sewell, in the film **'In a Savage Land'** written by Bill Bennett and his wife Jennifer Bennett. It belongs to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett completely and I have only borrowed it for my own entertainment for a while. Other characters in this story are my invention.

From a remark made by the '_Commissioner' _in the film, I have assumed Mick to be an ex-pat American trader/adventurer.

As a Brit, I can only hope my American friends will overlook any mistakes I may have made regarding anything to do with their country.

I have given this story an M rating because of its Adult content.

.

Song: Nature Boy' by the incomparable Nat 'King' Cole

.

Nature Boy

There was a boy,

A very strange enchanted boy.

They say he wandered very far

Over land and sea.

A little shy and sad of eye

But very wise was he.

And then one day,

A magic day he came my way

And while we spoke of things

Fools and Kings,

This he said to me,

The greatest thing you'll ever learn

Is just to love and be loved in return.

* * *

><p>.<p>

BEGINNINGS 

I have no memories of my father.

A name is all we share.

Michael Thomas Carpenter.

He died when I was three and he was twenty five.

I know nothing else, not even if I look like him except ... I remember, I remember that Mother's hair was soft, fine, fair and straight, and mine is black, thick and curls tightly over my head. My eyes too, must be his; they are not Mother's hyacinth blue but green. I remember her as being tall. When you are a child, all grownups are tall, but Joe said no, she was small, dainty, and I am tall, broad, big by most people's standards.

My mother struggled along for a few years, until unable to cope any longer on her own, she married again; Joe, a friend of my father. Things were o.k. until Mother got sick. We took care of her, Joe and I, till she went.

I was nine.

After that, when things got bad, Joe drank, now and then.

Then he married again.

Work was becoming hard to find, so money was short; I was a nuisance to her and he began to drink more, and in drink, to knock me around.

She complained about money being short and having feed an extra mouth, someone who was nothing to do with them. Somebody else's get.

They rowed continually. In bed, any night, I heard them. She said I should leave school, bring in my keep: Joe said he promised my mother I would get schooling till I was fourteen. She said why didn't I get a job after school.

I got a job after school, washing dishes and sweeping floors. I was twelve. Other kids played after school; I didn't miss it or them. Kids have a way of shutting out the ones who are different; and I was different. No mother, no father, a drunk stepfather, his wife, a mean spiteful woman who hated me and told everyone so. The poorest kid on the roughest block had his mother or father, even in the poorest district of the rough dockland where we lived.

So, washing dishes and sweeping floors, after school till bedtime, was no hardship.

'The Pillars of the Earth' called itself a hotel but it was little more than a boarding house with an eating room and a bar. This was the time of Prohibition but it would have taken more than a law to stop the landlord of the Pillars from opening his bar and he didn't need the Mob to help him. It was owned by Barty, a gross, fat, tough foul mouthed bastard and Minta his wife, a scrawny sharp tongued woman who did the cooking and watched him every minute. But the beds were clean and the food good, so the Pillars was always busy.

It was hard work and it didn't pay much. I was a child, I didn't expect much and that was why Barty employed me. At least it gave me a good dinner and some friendly company. Besides me, Barty employed Tony and Lou in the bar and Eddy, the barrel boy who also helped out in the eatery, and a waitress, Katy.

Katy.

Katy was about twenty three, I suppose, when I first met her. A tall curvy woman with sparkling brown eyes and fiery red hair piled up on her head, always struggling to escape the hairpins. Always laughing, with a quick word for everyone, the customers loved her. She teased and joked with us boys but was always less sharp with me, I was the youngest and smallest reaching only to her chin.

"Kid"she always called me; for a long time I thought it was because she didn't know my name.

She looked out for me, piled my plate high, and saved special scraps for me. When I started arriving at the Pillars straight from school, she stood over me, for half an hour in her break, with my school books to make sure that my schooling didn't fall behind: smacking my ear when I was being lazy and ruffling my hair when I got it right.

When Eddy the barrel boy left, she suggested Barty give me some of his hours.

And so I washed dishes, swept floors and humped barrels and gradually began to help clearing tables.

From when I started work I had given _her_, Joe's wife, my wages as I got them but when Barty and Katy said I could keep the tips left on my tables. I saved these and hid them from _her_. They were only cents.

I began spending all of my time at the Pillars even when it wasn't my shift, straight from school, hanging around with Tony and Lou and Katy when they were on their shift, doing little jobs so I didn't have to go.

"Don't think you're getting paid for doing that! It ain't your job"

Staying till Barty sent me home at the end of my shift or when they weren't busy.

"I ain't paying you for doing nothin'."

I spent my time there, preferring to work than go home.

I didn't want to go home. Things were getting worse, Joe, getting less and less work, drinking more and she nagging and screaming at both of us.

It had been a pig of day in school; one of those days when everything is wrong.

I stepped through the small door in the big double doors at the back. It led into the yard at the back of the Pillars: to the left were the boxes where Barty kept the cart horses and on the right was the barn.

Katy was leaning against the barn wall; and my spirits lifted. It must be her shift break. She had taken off her starched collar and cap and undone the buttons at the neck of her uniform dress.

"Hiya Kid. God! They are letting you out of school earlier and earlier or have you been truanting?"

I smiled. She knew I didn't play hooky. School, like the Pillars, was a haven.

The smoke from her cigarette drifted past me. I desperately wanted one. I had been smoking for a while but Katy didn't know. Dropping my schoolbag, I joined her, leaning against the wall, coveting it.

"Give us a puff, Katy."I wheedled.

"No, you're too young."

"Aw Katy, Katy please."

"No!"

I whipped the cigarette out of her mouth into mine, drew in a deep breath and put it back. She clipped me around the ear.

"Jeez, how long have you been smoking?"

"Ages."

"Yeah, I can see that. I'll kill those two little bastards, teaching you to smoke."

Grinning at her, I took the ciggie out of her mouth again, took another deep drag and put it back again, and blew the smoke teasingly back in her face, she went to smack me again but I caught her by the wrist, laughing at her.

"Christ! The size of your hands!"

I let her go and looked at my hand first and then hers, then I put my palm against hers. Hers was smaller, a lot smaller. We were smiling at each other.

"You know what they say about men with big hands? Big hands big..." she stopped suddenly.

"No? What?"

"It doesn't matter."

"What?"

"It was coarse and you are too young."

"You know what_ you_ say! If you are big enough, you are old enough."

I was being cheeky and I knew it. I was smiling at her

"You are not big enough."

"I am taller than you."

"Of course you are not!"

"Stand up straight next to me."

We were laughing at each other.

She threw her cigarette down and crushed it out.

"Now let's see!" She stood in front of me and I clasped my arms loosely around her.

The top of her head was just level with my mouth.

"There! You see?" I stuck my tongue out at her. She lifted her eyes to mine sparkling with laughter, and then her expression altered, surprised and something more.

"What? What Katy? "

She rubbed her thumb against my mouth following the faint line of down on it, then pulled my head down and kissed me; and running the tip of her tongue around my lips and into my mouth kissed me again. She moved fractionally backwards to lean against the barn wall.

"You done it Kid? Behind the school johns? The dirty deed? "

I felt my cheeks burn with heat. My mouth opened, moved but no sound came out.

"No, 'course you haven't. That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" She looked at me, her eyes changing. "Come on, Kid" She took my hand and we slithered around the corner into the barn.

It was dark at the back of the barn and we only saw each other as shades of grey but the hay was soft and smelt sweet. She hurriedly undid the rest of her buttons and pulled her dress open and put my hands on her breasts.

"Like this ...like this" a gasping whisper, her breathing was fast and so was mine.

"My nipples. Oh yes, oh yes."

Her hands were inside my shirt stroking my chest, our mouths together, our breath mingling.

She was moving against me and she was pulling up her dress, putting my hand inside her panties

"Do this ah, ah. There, there"

Then she was unbuttoning my pants and her hands were cool on the heat of my cock. It was hard, throbbing. I was filled with the exquisite pleasure of it and terrified of the force that was shooting through me.

"Your mouth, yes! Kiss me... yes. Oh God oh God It's so big. Pull my panties off! Oh God! I want it."  
>And I did what she asked, fumbling, and she lay, her thighs wide.<p>

Gasping "Don't you dare come on me, put it in, oh! Oh! Slowly, slowly first "

She was guiding me into her.

I began to thrust into her. Jesus! I have never felt anything so... So...

I didn't know the words. I still don't.

I was aware of Katy moaning under me but I couldn't stop.

Katy, Katy.

I thought the force of it was going to rip me apart or maybe her but I didn't care. I was still inside her, clasping her, dropping kisses on her face, sucking little gasps of air from her open mouth.

"Now you know what it is all about, Kid."

We lay together.

" Katy? " I waited. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"No. No, Kid."

"I thought maybe I... You were moaning and gasping ..."

"Yes, I was," on a little laugh." With coming. Women come too, Kid. I came. "

She pulled my head down and kissed me.

"How old are you Kid?"

"Fourteen"

" Jeez God! I've done it with a child."

"I'm not a child, Katy."

"No, No you're not; not anymore."

I rested my head on her shoulder, my mouth against her throat.

"I love you, Katy"

"Yeah"

Her fingers were in my hair, and her voice altered as she said on the softest breath,

"Yeah, Kid."

Then we could hear "Katy, Katy! Where the hell is the woman?" Barty was shouting for her.

"I'm coming. Can't I go to the bleeding john?" she shouted back.

We were desperately trying not to laugh.

She got up, straightened her clothes, buttoned her dress and fastened her collar and put her cap on. Brushing herself down, she said, "Have I got any hay on me? Let me look at you, to see if you are tidy. Mustn't give anything away. Minta will sack us both as soon as look. There! Give me a minute or two before you come in."

She got as far as the door.

"Katy!" She turned to look at me

"You forgot your drawers." I held them up, grinning at her.

"Oh shit! Put them up in my room will you, hon."

Katy's room was a matchboard cubbyhole in the loft above us. An open tread stair led straight from the barn door up into it. No door. No privacy. Anybody coming up, had to shout to let her know. Facing you, as you climbed into the room, was an iron bedstead with a skimpy mattress. An old bentwood chair served as a night stand. To the right was a rickety table. On it, were a bowl and ewer, a saucer with Katy's soap and washrag, and her hairbrush, and a bucket underneath. There was a cracked mirror on the wall above, and a hook for her towel, and next to it, Katy's chest. A roof light lit it in the day and at night a mean low watt bulb on a wire.

As Katy said, it wasn't much but it was hers.

I don't know how we got through that night's shift.

I wanted to touch her, to hold and kiss her. We laughed and fooled about through the shift until Tony said, "What the hell is up with you two tonight?"

Till Katy said "Calm down, Barty will sack us both." But her eyes and her lips told a different story.

We had two more precious days like that.

We made love again. Twice more. In the alley behind the Pillars, where we stored the empty barrels. In the big linen cupboard, among the clean fresh bedding. Wild fast wonderful love, joyful and laughter filled.

It was Monday, a dark night, the rain sheeting down.

Barty always sent me home early on Monday.

Joe was out in some bar but _She_ was waiting for me.

_She_ was sat by the table, there was money on it.

One dollar, thirty nine cents, in cents and nickels.

I knew exactly how much.

_She_ had found it, my little stash. _She_ must have searched hard; I had hidden it well.

_She_ started to scream at me, accusing me of stealing, calling me a liar, a thief.

For the first time, I answered her back, shouted back. _She_ slapped me, not for the first time, then she picked up a cane that was on the table beside the money; and laid it across my back, three, four times.

I put up my hand to ward it off and the tip of it caught my face by my mouth, laying it open. I ripped it out of her hand and broke it into pieces over my knee.

_She_ was still screaming when Joe came in, still accusing me of lying and stealing, and with a curse, Joe hit me. Again and again, punching, till with a back handed slap across my face he knocked me down and I fell by the wood burner stove.

He kicked me and scrabbling to get out of his way, my hand grasped a chunk of wood and I hit him on the side of his head once, twice. He fell beside me. I got up: there was a lot of blood and he was very still.

You've killed him." she screamed over and over.

I turned and ran out into the rain, ran to the only place I knew.

I went through the small door of the stable doors, into the yard. There was a dim light in the skylight above Katy's room. I could hear sounds as I climbed the stairs that led straight into it. I didn't understand what I saw on her bed. Then I realized. Two huge buttocks rising and falling, Barty grunting as he pumped into her.

And I saw Katy looking at me.

She put her finger to her mouth, telling me to be quiet. I opened my mouth but she did it again and gestured, pointing downwards, then finger to her mouth again for silence. She was telling me to wait downstairs in the barn.

I sat shuddering on an old chest under the stairs and waited while Barty finished.

"Ach! That was good. "

I heard the bed squeak as he swung himself to his feet; the rustling of his clothes, the clink of the metal buckle on his belt; the squeak of the bedsprings again and the thump of his boots as he sat down to put them on.

"You open up in the morning?"

"Mm"

"Right." and he clumped down the stairs above me and was gone. She came down to me, tying an old wrapper around her.

We looked at each other

"He was having you. He **had **you! Barty …ughh" My voice was high and shaky, childish even to me. "Who else? What about Tony and Lou? They had you too? And Eddy? And me! Full house! Well done! "

She slapped my face hard.

How many more people were going to hit me, that night?

"Don't you judge me, you little shit. Just you remember, if a woman gives herself, _**gives**_ herself to you, it's a gift. You should give her respect, respect her and her gift. That's what it was with you. A gift... No! Not Tony, or Lou, or Eddy! ... Yeah! Barty had me. He has me each Monday, Minta goes to her sister's, Lou's night off, Tony runs the bar, he sends you home early and he screws me. I screw him and will go on screwing him as long as he wants because it keeps me in my job and a roof over my head. I've been out of work! I've had no money, nothing to eat, no place to live. I've been there and I am not going there again. Do you understand? And now what the hell do _**you **_want?"

I put my head on her shoulder and burst into tears.

"He's dead, Katy. He's dead, Joe, he's dead.I killed him." and I sobbed, my tears soaking her wrapper.

"What are you talking about? Tell me. **Tell me**."

Stumbling, I told her.

"_She_ was waiting… when I got home. _She_ found my money, my tips. I always gave her my wages but I kept the tips… _she_ must have searched my room …"

I was hiccupping the words out now.

"_She_ called me a thief and a liar and hit me with a cane and Joe came home, he was drunk, punched me, slapped me with the back of his hand. I fell down and he…he..he kicked me I found a piece of firewood and hit…..hit …hit him and he fell by me. There was blood … everywhere…and he did... did...didn't move... _She, she_ was screaming he's dead, you killed him. I ran, ran and came to you."

I felt her hand in my hair and her other arm around me. I jerked away, my back hurt so.

"You're wet! Your shirt is soaked. Come upstairs."

She led me upstairs into the light.

" God! There's blood everywhere. Take your shirt off. Let me see. I knew they knocked you about…Jesus, your face, did Joe do that?"

I touched the side of my face.

"Yeah, there, and _She_ hit me there with the cane by my mouth;" I touched it. "and my back."

"Let me see." She took a sharp intake of breath.

"I killed him, Katy. I hit him twice and he lay there and _She_ said …"

"Sshhh. Kid."

"I got to get away Katy. I didn't know anyone else to go to."

"Ssshhh. Of course you should come to me. Who else? Let me sponge this and dry your shirt and we'll talk."

She had poured water from the ewer into her washbasin and was sponging my face softly, gently, sponging the blood away.

"She split this? You are going to have a little scar there, by your mouth and….oh my God! You're going to have see a doctor about this over your eye"

"No! No Katy. I can't." My voice was rising.

"You need stitches. "

"No!"

"Let's take your shirt off …get it dry …ohhhh …ohh! What did she hit you with? Oh Jesus and here…" She touched my ribs. I gasped.

"Oh Mickey, Mickey my little love."

She went to her table.

"Here, have a slug of this."

She handed me a bottle. I coughed, I don't know what it was but it was hot and fiery going down my throat.

She bathed my back and side with cool clean water and spread something soothing on it and my face.

"I killed him, Katy, I'll fry. They'll send me to the chair. I got to get away. I've got to."

"Sshh ….. I know someone… captain of a boat, he owes me a favor. I'll go see him. Lie down and get some rest. I won't be long. I'll put the light out. Don't answer if anyone calls; they won't come up."

She pulled her coat on and shoved her feet into her shoes and went out.

It seemed like hours before she came back. I sat on her bed, sick and shaking with nerves and fear.

"OK Kid. It's done. He'll take you. He's bound for Rio on the morning tide. You'll need a passport but he can fix that. I asked him to put some stitches in that eye too. He's no doctor but he's used to doing it at sea. You will have to work, you know?"

"I can work, Katy."

"Yeah! If you can work for Barty, you can work for anyone."

She waited a moment.

"Kid, I came past your house; both ways. It was very quiet, no lights, nothing. I don't think Joe's dead. "

"She said he was."

"Kid, if he was, the cops would be swarming there, and I saw Paddy McCarthy on his beat and he said it was a quiet night so…I don't think so… I don't think you have to go if you don't want to."

"I can't stay even if Joe… I can't stay there with them. I've got to get away."

"O.k.! O.k."

She waited again.

"Tide is at six, so you will need to be there about five. It's one now, can you sleep?"

I shook my head.

She took her coat off, I smiled a shaky smile. She had gone out still wearing her wrapper.

She stood, looking at me sitting on the edge of her bed. Then, untied her wrapper and let it fall. I had never seen a naked woman before. Our loving had been fast in quiet corners whenever we could snatch a few minutes. She was so beautiful. Her body, full white breasts with their big brown nipples, already hard, curving into a small waist and flaring out again around her hips and the bush of hair at her thighs almost as fiery as that on her head.

I stood and she unbuttoned my pants and my cock was ready and wanting her.

A little laugh escaped her.

"Yes." she said."It is right what they say, Kid. Big hands big cock. "

"Is it Katy?"

"Well, about you anyway."

We lay down and somehow in spite of my bruised ribs, the weals on my back and my swollen face we made love, long hot hard love till I slept.

I woke to her touch.

"Hey Kid, time to go."

She had washed my shirt, I splashed my face and put it on.

"Are you sure you want to do this? If Joe was…gone, the cops would have been around here looking for you by now; and I told you what Paddy said... "

"I've got to go Katy, I got to! It's my only chance."

"OK, Kid. Where's your coat?"

"I haven't got it, didn't wear it: I just ran."

"Oh! Well, Oleg will have to sort that out for you. I've asked him to make sure you keep up your schooling. You will Kid, won't you? Your reading and writing? Promise? For me?"

I nodded.

We went to the top of the stairs. She caught my arm.

"Here Kid, put this somewhere safe, unpick your belt or the waist band of your pants."

It was a small roll of notes.

"Don't tell anyone you've got it. It's not much but it's all I can raise."

"Katy" I started to thank her but she put her fingers to my lips.

" Go now."

She went to the small back door with me, I stepped out.

"I'll be back Katy."

"Sure Kid."

I bent to touch her lips with mine and she cupped my face softly rubbing my mouth with her thumb.

"My little love. Take care Mickey, take care."

The rain had stopped.

I half walked, half ran down the long steep road that led to the quay. I looked back once, she was still there and when I reached the turn at the bottom, I looked again. I could still see the white of her wrapper against the dark door. I raised my hand.

The early morning light was pearling the still waters of the bay as we slipped our moorings and slid out to sea.

I sat on the afterdeck with my arms around my knees and watched the town recede.

And if I cried, no-one could see.

There have been many women since.

Americans, Latinas, girls from the China Seas, Polynesians, Aussie women; but no-one like Katy.

Katy.

No-one till I jumped ashore on an island in Papua New Guinea and saw the sun turn rose gold hair to sparks of flame.

But that is another story.

It was nearly nineteen years before I went back and I was in the uniform of the US Navy.

I walked along my old street; there was a kid, maybe twelve, sitting on the stoup of my old house.

"You live here, kid?"

"Sure"

" You know a feller called Joe; used to live here?

"Nah. Don' know 'im."

"How long you lived here?"

"Dunno, all my life. Mebbe they know summat in the Pillars. The bar up from the quay."

I turned to go.

"Hey Lootenan', got a cigarette?"

I reached to my shirt pocket to get my pack.

"You're too young to smoke." I heard Katy's voice.

"You're too young to smoke." I said. "but here, have these." and I threw him a couple of packets of gum.

And I made my way to the Pillars.

I fought my way through the packed saloon to the bar

I leaned against it and waited for Barty to serve me.

He was a lot older, lined, greyer, a bit bent.

"Stool here, Lootenan'." a voice beside me said.

"Thanks."

Next to me sat an old fellow, his eyes small and bright in a face like a walnut.

"What can I get you?" Barty asked

"A beer. You're busy today."

"Yeah, the fleet's in." he said sourly, putting the glass and bottle before me and picking up his money.

"I wonder if you can help me. I'm looking for some people from around here. DeWitt Street? Name of Driscoll? Joe Driscoll? "

"Dead."

"You know how long?" He shrugged, disinterestedly.

"Fifteen, twenty years mebbe. Who knows?"

Who cares? was his attitude.

" Would you know what he died of?"

"Nah, how the hell would I know?"

Barty had lost none of his charm. He moved down the bar to serve someone else.

" Weren't tha' long ago. 'bout ten years ago, it was." I looked at the old wrinkled face with its bright currant eyes beside me.

"An' it was …" He lifted his elbow in the time old gesture." Drink."

"You knew him?"

"Yeah, good guy Joe, before the drink got him. Drink and that sour faced old bitch of a wife. She musta loved him s'pose; she didn't last long after him."

I raised my hand and Barty came back.

"Whatever my friend here is drinking." I put the money on the bar. "There was someone called Katy? Did you know her?"

"No"

"I thought she worked here."

"No! I said, didn't I?" and he ambled off again.

There was a soft cackle from next to me.

"She did, but he wouldn't say so. Minta caught him poking her. Sacked her. Threw her out as she stood. Her bits an' pieces in the road after her. Didn't even pay her the wages they owed her. But then those two never needed any excuse to do that."

"When was this?"

He blew out his breath in a soundless whistle.

"Must be more'n eighteen years now."

"Know where she went?"

"Nah, she never hung around after. She musta hitched out, she never had no money, nothin' saved; Depression then, nobody had nothin' She dossed down in our place that night, gave her a dollar, she went nex' day, never seen her since."

We supped our beers in silence for a while, each with our own thoughts.

"You seen action, lootenan'?"

"Yeah, some."

"South Pacific?"

I nodded.

"Fleet out again soon?"

"Yeah."

I finished my beer.

"Well, I'm off now. Thanks for the talk."

I fingered the little wad of notes that I had put in my shirt pocket before I came ashore and on an impulse I took it out.

"Here, buy yourself something, whatever, on me."

I began to push my way through the crowd when his voice came after me.

" Gee, thanks….. she said, tell you, when you come back, tell you take care, Mickey."

.


End file.
